it has been going on at paul's hat works in san francisco's richmond district since 1918, the making of hats. lineage that runs from its peruvian founder over 94 years to four young women from the neighborhood. >> we were kind of an odd bunch before, didn't plan to be hatters, as most people probably don't, and stumbled on it, really did. stumbled on it. and the story and the ambience and that's what took us. >> mike: the story is a familiar one: in 2009, battered by the down economy, the owner needed to sell, no one would buy. so the option was to shut it down, walk away, hat in hand. except in walked a preschool preschool teacher, two costumers and a bookkeeper, saviors in bright colors, with passion. >> we did it because, a, this place was going to evaporate if we didn't. nobody else was going to do it. the four of us are makers of things. we love the craft and we love old crafts and this was something that you can only learn how to be a hatter by apprenticing. so this is a skill that they're not teaching in school. see, this is kind of a taller crown. >> mike: what they will teac